Prediction: Valter Walker via Decision
The eye test and skillset say Kennedy should win—but I’m riding with the dog in Walker, and here’s why. Yeah, Kennedy’s the rightful favorite on paper. His striking is clean, accurate, and timed to perfection. When he’s flowing, he looked like a sniper at 205—long, rangy, and dangerous as hell. And credit to him, his offensive grappling has come a long way too. He’s not just a striker anymore—he can mix it up, get takedowns when he wants, and use that huge frame to bully guys when he’s the one in control.
But that’s the catch—he needs to be in control. Kennedy is all offense. He’s never really figured out how to handle pressure when he’s not dictating the pace. His size gives him an edge, sure, but defensively both on the feet and on the ground, there are still holes. He backs up in straight lines, his reaction time under fire isn’t great, and strong wrestlers have been able to get to his hips and take him down. And now he’s got to deal with a heavyweight wrestler in Valter Walker who’s gonna keep coming no matter how many clean shots he eats.
Walker isn’t flashy, and he’s not the sharper fighter technically—but he’s relentless. That pressure breaks people. He’s got that “I don’t care how much it hurts, I’m gonna get to you” kind of grit. And if Kennedy doesn’t get him out of there early, it’s going to turn into a problem. Once Walker gets inside and starts chaining takedowns, it’s gonna get ugly. Kennedy off the back foot isn’t the same guy. He gets hesitant, he slows down, and the openings start showing.
So yeah, Kennedy’s the guy with the highlight-reel weapons, but if this turns into a grind, he might be in for a long night. Walker’s pressure and toughness could be the X-factor. I’m siding with the dog who’s not afraid to walk through fire to drag this into deep water.